Welcome to the third-world state of Jefferson

Tuesday, March 3, 2015 — At a Tuesday, Feb. 24 meeting held at Jensen Hall at the Lassen County Fairgrounds, the Lassen County Board of Supervisors directed county counsel to create a declaration that reflects the county’s needs and concerns regarding secession from the state of California and joining the state of Jefferson movement — a move that if approved would surely plunge Susanville and Lassen County residents and business owners alike into an economic sinkhole from which we could never extract ourselves.

Supervisors Bob Pyle, Aaron Albaugh and Jeff Hemphill voted to table a declaration from Jefferson proponents in order to create on that would address our local concerns.

Stone and Straw release a fabulous new album

Tuesday, March 3, 2015 — If most people were to run their grubby little paws through my music collection, they’d probably end up wondering who the heck are all these people?

Truth be told, I collect songwriters, the real artists behind the music. Oh, I’ve got some popular stuff, too. Why, I even bought a copy of Taylor Swift’s recent CD “1989” — not because I thought I’d enjoy another edition of her teenybopper country pop, but because frankly the 20-something songstress turned more than a million copies of that CD the week it came out. In fact, it was the best-selling album of the entire year. Very impressive, especially at a time when the public just doesn’t buy that many records anymore.

Remembering a fallen deputy

A brief ceremony honoring Larry Griffith — a Lassen County Deputy Sheriff who lost his life in the line of duty — will be held at noon Monday, March 2 at the granite memorial in front of the Historic Courthouse in Susanville.

For family members, friends and area residents, it seems as if it Griffith was killed just yesterday. In fact, his murder occurred 20 years ago next week — Monday, March 2, 1995 — as the deputy was shot and killed while responding to a domestic violence call in Ravendale. Some losses we just have to endure forever, and this is one of them.

Griffith, 44, a loving husband and father of three, a Vietnam veteran and a former Plumas County Sheriff’s deputy, dedicated himself to public service and the safety of his community and his fellow officers.

He signed, ‘With hope for our poetry’

Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2015 — Boy, did I get hit with a big haymaker last week. First I learned of the death of singer Leslie Gore, who recorded the monster 1963 smash “It’s My Party,” and I fondly remembered one of my first favorite songs from my giggly, teenybopper years. But my happy, nostalgic “I’ll cry if I wa-ant to,” moment soured suddenly when I discovered poet Philip Levine had died on Valentine’s Day.

Levine came to Fresno State in the late 1950s and within a decade, largely due to his influence, the English program there garnered national recognition and even rivaled the reputation of creative writing programs at big time schools such as the University of Iowa. His students became known as the Fresno poets.

Interceding on behalf of the persecuted

Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2015 — Like most, I have been appalled at the activities taking place in the Middle East at the hands of men operating under the banner of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

I have not watched any of the videos of the beheadings that have taken place or of those burned alive. My imagination is sufficient to stir my heart and compel me to search for ways I might be of help.

My first reaction was to turn to prayer on behalf of the people who live in this region and I still regularly intercede for them in prayer. In prayer, I have actively been seeking ways I might help.